1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to synthetic fuel compositions and, more particularly, to coal-containing compositions having a preferred utility as artificial logs for fireplaces.
2. Description of the Prior Art
During the 1970's, artificial logs for fireplaces have gained tremendous popularity and a large number of such ersatz logs are commercially available. The commercially available logs are generally composed primarily of approximately equal amounts of wood particles or chips and slack wax and minor amounts of organic binders, combustion aids, coloring agents, etc. The compositions of these synthetic fuel logs are believed to be similar to the preferred composition described in Eyre, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,419, which contains, by weight: 42% sawdust; 48% slack wax; 5% Orzan A, a lignin product identified as ammonium lignin sulfonates and wood sugars; and 5% sodium nitrate.
Artificial logs produced from coal are also available on the market. These logs, however, also contain large amounts of slack wax and during burning fail to retain their original shape. As a result, the coal particles are not sufficiently ignited and the ash remaining after burning of the log contains substantial amounts of unburned coal. Thus, inefficient use is made of the thermal energy available in the coal and removal of the ashes following burning is inconvenient.
It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an economical synthetic fuel composition which contains coal as a major component and which efficiently utilizes the energy available in the coal.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a coal-containing synthetic fuel composition which can be formed into artificial logs and which burns efficiently and substantially retains its original shape.
These and other objects will be apparent from the following description of the invention.